


Firefly (The You Only Live Once Remix)

by Caeseria



Category: Naruto
Genre: Emotions, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mission Fic, Romance, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-17
Updated: 2013-03-17
Packaged: 2017-12-05 12:48:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,170
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/723487
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Caeseria/pseuds/Caeseria
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Joint missions with lovers are never fun.  And neither is the aftermath.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Firefly (The You Only Live Once Remix)

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Sacrifices](https://archiveofourown.org/works/707309) by [Aviss](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aviss/pseuds/Aviss). 



Iruka's own shout pulled him from his nightmare, body tangled hopelessly in his sheets. His ragged breathing was the only sound in the room now, harsh and loud. Seeing Kakashi yesterday hadn't helped matters – talking to him had probably made things worse.

Iruka knew deep down he was being unreasonably angry with Kakashi, that he had said cruel things that probably should have remained unspoken between them. The truth was that it had been a shock to see Kakashi awake after five long days in the hospital, and it had been almost too much for Iruka to handle. Relief had warred with his anger, fueled it further, fanning it from a slow burn to a raging blaze. Iruka hadn't lied when he told Kakashi he felt like he wanted to kill him for doing such a stupid thing – leaping in front of Iruka, taking a direct hit from an unknown lightning jutsu. 

Iruka took a deep breath, trying to calm his racing heart and he purposely relaxed his fists, releasing the bed sheets from his sweaty grip. His hands ached and protested, along with the shallow cut in his shoulder – the only souvenir from his and Kakashi's joint mission. At the time, Iruka's guilt had been simply another thing to fuel his temper; Kakashi had almost died protecting Iruka, while Iruka had come away with only a single slash across his shoulder blade. No matter that in his adrenaline-fueled rage he'd taken down the remaining three missing-nin – that was beside the point.

Iruka slipped from the bed and padded into the bathroom, turning on the shower and waiting for the water to heat. He was not looking forward to today, to facing Kakashi again. Words and accusations tumbled through Iruka's head; remnants of their conversation yesterday. Kakashi had admitted flat-out that he would do the same thing again – to step in front of Iruka and take a fatal hit for him, even knowing that he wouldn't survive. 

That worried Iruka more than he wanted to acknowledge.

***************

Iruka sat on the porch steps and watched the sun sink below the tree line. The warm gold of sunset turned an anemic yellow and then a dull red, the last rays swallowed by the encroaching night. The background hum of insects grew louder as the night cooled, lulling Iruka into a somnolent state almost like meditation. _I could sit here for hours, just like this,_ he thought. _Sit here and watch the heavens turn slowly, with no place to be and no one to need me._  
  
He was about to turn in when he heard the unmistakable sound of footsteps along the path. He smiled to himself when the steps paused, seemingly hesitant.

"You can come out," Iruka called to the darkness. "I know you're there."

The seconds ticked by and then a familiar figure slipped out of the tree line: tall and lanky, moving with grace despite his recent injuries. 

Kakashi.

Iruka shifted over; a clear indication for Kakashi to join him. "I didn't know if I was welcome," Kakashi said. He sounded tired, but who wouldn't be two weeks of recuperation in the hospital? 

"Silly," Iruka chided, trying to disperse the awkward atmosphere he could feel forming around them. "You're always welcome." Moments passed, both of them sitting side by side, shoulders almost touching, watching the stars come out. Neither broke the silence further; Iruka was simply content to just be in Kakashi's company.

"You remind me of them," he said eventually. 

"Of what?"

"The fireflies." Iruka pointed toward the faint pinpricks of golden light hovering over the garden. One would wink out and another take its place, a steady glow of tiny light piercing the darkness.

Kakashi laughed, perhaps a little breathlessly due to his injuries. "And why is that, sensei?"

Iruka turned to Kakashi. Only inches away from each other, even now Iruka wanted to lean into his warmth, feel the touch of Kakashi's skin against his own. He let his gaze roam over Kakashi's bare face; linger on his lips before he looked up to meet Kakashi's eyes. "On the mission, when you stepped in front of me – when you took the jutsu meant for me –" Iruka could hear his voice crack and swallowed hard, pushing down the tight lump in his throat, "For a single split second, it was like you were lit up from the inside. Your whole body limned with bright blue light. I could feel the heat from the lightning and the raw crackle of power. And you know something? You looked beautiful. Beautiful but broken. And in that moment, just before you crumpled to the ground, I knew there was no way that anyone could survive a hit from a lightning jutsu like that. That you were already dead, burnt and bloody, and that the lightning was the only thing keeping you upright."

Iruka looked away for a moment, trying to organize his thoughts. He felt Kakashi's shoulder brush against his, a comforting gesture that Iruka knew was anything but casual. "I was so angry," Iruka whispered, catching Kakashi's gaze once more. "Angry at you for doing such a stupid, courageous thing. Angry that you made the choice without consulting me. But more than anything else, I was angry at _myself_ for not reacting fast enough to take that missing-nin down in the first place."

"Anger can be a good thing," Kakashi replied solemnly. "It carried us both home, didn't it? It gave you the will to survive beyond the moment, to drag my sorry, bleeding ass all the way back here. I owe you my life for that alone."

"But I could have done _something_ to prevent it," Iruka bit out. "I could have –"

Kakashi leaned into Iruka's space, bringing a hand up to touch his cheek gently. "Hindsight is a wonderful thing, Iruka," he commented. "That's why it's called hindsight. Reality is very different. We all have regrets, things we would have done differently." He paused, as if thinking of something deep in the past. "But this time, I am here with you. I'll be here with you for as long as you want me, as long as you need me."

Iruka felt the rage leave his body in a single, violent breath. He sagged forward, leaning into Kakashi's touch, feeling his arms fold around him, pulling him close. He nuzzled into Kakashi's neck, breathed in his familiar scent. "I'll always want you with me, Kakashi," he said. "For as long as fate lets us, anyway." 

He could feel his eyes closing now, five days of anger and worry leaving him drained, emotionally and physically. He pulled away slightly, close enough to Kakashi's ear to whisper, "And I meant what I said a few days ago. I'm never going on another mission with you again, not even if Tsunade orders it."

Kakashi laughed, pulling Iruka back into his arms. "I got the memo when you were yelling at me the first time in the hospital. Consider it a done deal."

Fin :)

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Always (The Firefly Remix)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/725735) by [Atsuki-hime (Atsuki_hime)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Atsuki_hime/pseuds/Atsuki-hime)




End file.
